ughter of Adam saved by good works?" she asked, with a
look and tone of surprise.
"No, mother, certainly not; how strange that I did not think of
answering him with that query. But he maintained that God was too just
to overlook--make no account of--years of holy living because of perhaps
a momentary fall into sin."
"We have nothing to hope from God's justice," she replied, "for it
wholly condemns us. 'There is none righteous, no, not one.... Therefore
by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight.'
"But your friend's question is very plainly answered by the prophet
Ezekiel," opening her Bible as she spoke. "Here it is, in the eighteenth
chapter, twenty-fourth verse.
"'But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and
committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that
the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath
done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed,
and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.'"
"Nothing could be plainer," Harold said. "I shall refer my friend to
that passage for his answer, and also remind him that no one can be
saved by works.
"Now, mamma, there is something else. I have become acquainted with a
young Jew who interests me greatly. He is gentlemanly, refined,
educated, very intelligent and devout, studying the Hebrew Scriptures
constantly, and looking for a Saviour yet to come.
"I have felt so sorry for him that I could not refrain from talking to
him of Jesus of Nazareth, and trying to convince him that He was and is
the true Messiah."
Elsie looked deeply interested. "And what was the result of your
efforts?" she asked.
"I have not succeeded in convincing him yet, mamma, but I think I have
raised doubts in his mind. I have called his attention to the prophecies
in his own Hebrew Scriptures in regard to both the character of the
Messiah and the time of His appearing, and shown him how exactly they
were all fulfilled in our Saviour. I think he cannot help seeing that it
is so, yet tries hard to shut his eyes to the truth.
"He tells me he believes Jesus was a good man and a great prophet, but
not the Messiah; only a human creature. To that I answer, 'He claimed
to be God, saying, "I and My Father are One;" "Verily, verily, I say
unto you, before Abraham was I am;" and allowed himself to be worshipped
as God; therefore either He was God or He was a wretched
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